Friday, May 8, 2009

Wire: US Threatens Military Force Against Hackers

Off the Wire:

WASHINGTON, May 8, 2009 -- Newswires reported today that cyber espionage and attacks from well-funded nations or terror groups are the biggest threats to the military’s computer networks, a top U.S. military officer said.

The Associated Press reported that General Kevin Chilton, who heads U.S. Strategic Command, said he worries that foes will learn to disable or distort battlefield communications.

AP noted the following details:

Chilton said even as the Pentagon improves its network defences against hackers, he needs more people, training and resources to hone offensive cyber war capacity. At the same time, he asserted that the U.S. would consider using military force against an enemy who attacks and disrupts the nation’s critical networks.

“Our job would be to present options. I don’t think you take anything off the table when you provide options” to the president, in the wake of an attack, whether the weapon is a missile or a computer program, he said.

Chilton’s comments shed the most light to date on the Pentagon’s ongoing debate over how to beef up its abilities to wage and defend against cyber warfare. And they came as the military is planning to set up a new cyber command at Fort Meade not far from Washington that would report to Strategic Command, AP said.